Basic numerical processing in left intraparietal sulcus (IPS) acalculia

Cortex. 2008 Apr;44(4):439-48. doi: 10.1016/j.cortex.2007.08.008. Epub 2007 Dec 23.

Abstract

We report a case of a patient, AD, who suffered from acalculia following an infarct restricted to the left IPS (intraparietal sulcus). AD showed deficits in an arithmetic battery and in basic numerical processing tasks. Compared to matched controls, AD showed a larger distance effect in numerical comparisons, an abnormal size congruity indicated by a lack of facilitation by irrelevant numerical values in physical comparisons, a deficiency in counting in comparison tasks, and a deficiency in subitizing in number naming tasks and comparison tasks. This suggests that the underlying deficit in AD is a difficulty in the perception and manipulation of quantity. Moreover, it indicates the essential role of the IPS in basic numerical processing.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Aged
  • Analysis of Variance
  • Case-Control Studies
  • Cerebral Infarction / etiology
  • Cerebral Infarction / pathology
  • Cerebral Infarction / physiopathology
  • Cognition Disorders / etiology
  • Cognition Disorders / pathology
  • Cognition Disorders / physiopathology*
  • Concept Formation / physiology*
  • Discrimination, Psychological / physiology
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Matched-Pair Analysis
  • Mathematics*
  • Mental Processes / physiology
  • Parietal Lobe / pathology
  • Parietal Lobe / physiology*
  • Parietal Lobe / physiopathology
  • Problem Solving / physiology*
  • Reaction Time / physiology
  • Reference Values
  • Stroke / complications
  • Stroke / pathology
  • Stroke / physiopathology*
  • Verbal Behavior / physiology